Late Meath point denies Laois Camogie Division 2 final place despite narrow win over Westmeath

The Laois Camogie team have rounded off their Division 2 Camogie League campaign with a narrow two-point victory over Westmeath in Laois Hire O'Moore Park on Saturday afternoon.

Laois almost snuck their way into a league final, but a last-minute point from Meath in their game against Carlow saw Meath finish ahead of Laois on scoring difference.

Laois came into Saturday afternoon's game knowing they needed to win to have any chance of reaching the Division 2 final. They got off to a quick start as the ever-reliable Aimee Collier opened the scoring after a great ball in from centre-back Clodagh Tynan. Westmeath replied through Sheila McGrath before Laois hit 1-2 without reply.

Laois' goal was simple in its making as Kaylee O'Keeffe ran at the Westmeath defence before offloading the ball to Collier and she smashed it past Fiona Keating. Collier followed that up with a free, while O'Keeffe got her only point of the afternoon as Laois led 1-3 to 0-1 after 12 minutes. Westmeath's response was a good one as they scored three points in a row, all from the hurl of Megan Dowdall.

Clodagh Tynan got in on the scoring act for Laois as she split the posts from a free on the halfway line. Susie Delaney then scored what was probably the score of the day as she pointed from the sideline under the O'Moore Park stand. The half ended with Dowdall (two) and McGrath scoring for Westmeath, while Collier scored a point in between those scores. Laois led 1-6 to 0-7 at the break. At half-time, Laois were heading to the final as Meath trailed Carlow by seven points, so Laois knew that they had to make sure to do their job first, and that was to win.

Dowdall opened the scoring in the second half before Keating made two great saves from Grainne Delaney and Kirsten Keenan. Collier scored from play as well as pointing the resulting 45' that came from Keenan's effort. Keenan would make up for that miss three minutes later as a Collier free dropped into the square and Keenan was on hand to hit the ball along the ground and past Keating. 

With two goals separating the sides, Westmeath cut the lead back to four when Dowdall scored two frees. Collier added another point to her name from a free before Westmeath hit 1-1 in the space of 60 seconds. Julie McLoughlin pointed off the bench before Dowdall took a shot on goal, and it went under the hurl of Aedin Lowry and through her legs into the Laois net. Laois went down the other end and pushed their lead back to two with Collier scoring a free. Westmeath almost won the game in the last few minutes as Dowdall's first effort hit the crossbar and she ended up catching the rebound, but Lowry was able to get her hurl to the ball, and Laois cleared the ball up the field before Eamonn Cassidy blew the full-time whistle.

There was some frantic checking of phones at full-time as everyone checked to see if Carlow had held on against Meath. Unfortunately, Meath scored a last-minute point, which knocked Laois out of the top two on scoring difference.

Laois have a considerable break now, with the Leinster Intermediate Championship not starting until May 3, when they play Wicklow in Round One.

FINAL SCORE

Laois 2-10

Westmeath 1-11

SCORERS- Laois: Aimee Collier 1-7 (0-3 frees, 0-1 45'), Kirsten Keenan 1-0, Kaylee O'Keeffe, Susie Delaney and Clodagh Tynan (free) 0-1 each. Westmeath: Megan Dowdall 1-8 (0-5 frees, 0-1 45'), Sheila McGrath 0-2, Julie McLoughlin 0-1.

LAOIS: Aedin Lowry (Camross); Laura Finlay (St Brigid's), Ellen Conroy (O'Moore's), Fiona Scully (Camross); Aoife Finlay (St Brigid's), Clodagh Tynan (St Brigid's), Sarah Creagh (St Brigid's); Sarah Fleming (Portlaoise), Lucy Conroy (O'Moore's); Kaylee O'Keeffe (St Lazarian's), Aisling O'Dea (St Brigid's), Grainne Delaney (Camross); Susie Delaney (Portlaoise), Aimee Collier (Camross), Eimear Hassett (St Brigid's). Subs: Jade Bergin for O'Dea (33 mins, inj), Kirsten Keenan (Camross) for S Delaney (HT), Rachel Deegan (The Harps) for Hassett (36 mins), Aoife Carroll (St Brigid's) for Fleming (50 mins), Amy Daly (St Brigid's) for L Conroy (60 mins)

WESTMEATH: Fiona Keating; Aine Newman, Dearbhail McLoughlin, Roisin Kelly; Maria Kelly, Ellen Flangan, Laura Doherty; Aoifa O’Mally, Erin Core; Meadhbh McLoughlin, Julie McLoughlin, Ashley Ruane; Sheila McGrath, Amelia Shaw, Megan Dowdall. Subs: Orlaith Dolan for Shaw (HT), Karen Keegan for M McLoughlin and Aisling Doyle for Kelly (46 mins), Caoimhe Coogan for Ruane (59 mins)

Referee: Eamonn Cassidy (Derry)